Car crashes prompt relocation of veterans memorial
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The Linden War Memorial as it stood in 2021 after being partly destroyed by a car crash. Photo: Courtesy of Google Maps
Columbus is paying to restore and relocate a North Linden veterans memorial that has been repeatedly struck by vehicles in recent years.
Driving the news: City Council voted to approve a $90,581 contract with E&L Cemetery Services for the work.
State of play: The Linden War Memorial at 2652 Cleveland Ave. has long paid tribute to veterans of the two World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
- It's located on a triangle-shaped lot without any barricades, which has proved to be an issue.
Flashback: A vehicle crashed into the monument in 2019, cracking the stone and toppling over several plaques. Columbus and E&L Cemetery Services repaired it.
- Two years later, another driver struck the monument and destroyed its entire left half.
- This is around the time a vehicle ruined a historical marker for early settler Lucas Sullivant on West Broad Street.
What they're saying: The plan is to restore and move the memorial to nearby Linden Park.
- The decision followed years of talks between city officials and local groups, North Linden Area commissioner Ben Keith wrote on X, but it has still drawn criticism, as seen in the post below.
